The Springfield City Council on Tuesday approved a nearly $1.8 million contract with a local brokerage firm for insuring city-owned utility properties, but one alderman objected to not first soliciting proposals from other firms.

In a 9-1 vote, aldermen approved a three-year contract with broker R.W. Troxell and Co. to insure 40 City Water, Light and Power properties.

The contract calls for the city to pay the firm $1,766,900 for the first annual premium of the three-year commitment.

“It makes sense to shop around,” said Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who cast the lone vote against the contract.

McMenamin called his dissent a “protest vote” to encourage the competitive bidding process in city contracts. Aldermen recently spent several months debating whether the city should have used a competitive process in procuring a contract to supply auto parts at the new consolidated garage scheduled to open later this year.

McMenamin said he spoke to representatives from other insurance companies, including one in Decatur, who said they wanted to bid on the Springfield contract.

R.W. Troxell is a Springfield-based insurance broker, and the contract calls for the firm to receive a 12 percent commission. The insurance carrier is National Union Fire Insurance, which is the same insurer the city was working with several years ago when explosions rocked the city's main power plant. R.W. Troxell negotiates the premium on behalf of the city, and then the city pays the firm the commission.

Mayor Mike Houston said Tuesday that the city saw more than $50 million in insurance payouts following the explosions to cover damages at the facility.

The city's current insurance policy for the CWLP properties runs out July 14, so some of the other aldermen urged a “yes” vote to be sure the insurance doesn't lapse. Others said they were confident in the firm's experience.

“We've got one meeting between now and when this policy lapses,” Ward 10 Ald. Tim Griffin said.

Ward 5 Ald. Sam Cahnman said he understood McMenamin's point, but, with the timeline the city is currently up against, he called it “irresponsible” to vote the contract down.

“I think in the future when this comes up we should take a hard look,” Cahnman said.

McMenamin agreed it would be “unacceptable” for the city to risk going uninsured, leading Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner to press him on how he could cast a “no” vote.

It would be irresponsible “if all 10 of us voted ‘no,' ” McMenamin said.

In other business at Tuesday's meeting, the city council voted unanimously to eliminate sick-time payouts for all nonunion employees hired after July 1. The measure targets the sick-time payouts employees receive upon their retirement, or payouts their families receive when they die, but doesn't change payouts for unused vacation time. City Budget Director Bill McCarty said last week that the city pays on average about $1 million annually in sick-time payouts to retiring employees.

Page 2 of 2 - The city council voted 7-3 to reclassify the property at 1322 S. 11th St. as within the city's general residence district zoning, which will allow the property owner, Calvin Jones, to provide temporary housing for adult men who are getting out of prison.

Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson called the applicant “unique” because Jones' Adulthood Transition Center provides social welfare services and is experienced in running such an operation. Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards was among the “no” votes, and he said the city has had “some bad experiences” with other temporary housing for offenders, referring to the House of Rainbow properties on 10th Street. The council voted against zoning changes for those properties earlier this year.

Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen said Jones is “selective” about who he allows into his housing and that he doesn't allow any sex offenders. Edwards, McMenamin and Ward 4 Ald. Frank Lesko cast the three votes against the zoning change.

The council voted 7-3 to do the same for a property at 1940 E. Jackson St., which Jones also owns. Adulthood Transition Center also operates at the Jackson Street address.